Iconic scene from Amar Akbar Anthony shot without director by Amitabh Bachchan in 14 perfect takes
Amitabh Bachchan is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema. He has given several memorable performances over the years and has become an inspiration to many aspiring actors. One such iconic moment of Hindi cinema was the scene in the film Amar, Akbar, Anthony, where Amitabh Bachchan is seen standing in front of a mirror, talking to himself after being beaten up. This scene is still considered one of the most memorable moments in Indian cinema.
Recently, Shabana Azmi, a veteran actress in Indian cinema, revealed the story behind the shooting of this scene. She shared how the director of the film, Manmohan Desai, and Amitabh Bachchan were shooting two films together and for each scene, they had to run on different floors. In such a situation, Amitabh Bachchan shot the iconic scene of Amar, Akbar, and Anthony without the director. When Manmohan Desai came to know about this, he was surprised and overjoyed with Amitabh's performance.
It is interesting to note that Amitabh Bachchan shot many films simultaneously in his time. There was a time when 10 to 12 of his films were released in a year. He used to work hard for this and had to run on the set after doing one scene to film another film scene. During the shooting of Amar, Akbar, Anthony, and Parvarish, both of which were being directed by Manmohan Desai, sets of both films were installed on two floors in the same building. When Amitabh Bachchan would shoot one scene of Amar, Akbar, and Anthony, he would ran to the next floor for another scene of Parvarish.
When Amitabh Bachchan was shooting the climax scene of Parvarish, he also filmed the scene of a man getting beaten up for Amar, Akbar, and Anthony. In this scene, he looks at himself in the mirror and talks as if he is talking to another person. To do this comic scene, Amitabh Bachchan gave 14 perfect takes. Every take of his was quite perfect, but due to the angle of the camera, he had to give that take again and again. In such a situation, he did not get angry even once and gave a perfect take every time.
This scene of Amitabh Bachchan became iconic, and even though the film could not do anything special on the big screen, this scene is still considered cult and classic. Amitabh Bachchan's acting in this scene was so natural and effortless that it seemed as if he was talking from someone else. This scene is a testament to the immense talent and dedication of Amitabh Bachchan.
In conclusion, the story behind the shooting of the iconic scene of Amar, Akbar, and Anthony is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Amitabh Bachchan. Despite shooting two films simultaneously and running from one set to another, he gave a perfect take on this scene and made it an iconic moment in Hindi cinema.